Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is a self-supporting corporate agency of the states of New York and New Jersey. It was formed in 1921 to plan and develop terminal and transportation facilities, and to improve and protect the commerce of the port district. The district includes an area of both states within a 25-mile (40-kilometer) radius of the Statue of Liberty. The authority’s facilities include bridges, tunnels, marine and inland terminals, airports, heliports, and a rail rapid transit system.
The Port Authority has 12 commissioners—6 from New Jersey and 6 from New York. Each is nominated by his or her state’s governor and approved by its senate. The commissioners serve without pay for terms of six years. The Port Authority appears before the Federal Maritime Commission in the interest of the port area. The authority has international business development offices in Hong Kong; Shanghai; Tokyo; and Warwick, United Kingdom. These offices promote commerce through the Port of New York and New Jersey.
